Celebration Styles Made Easy

by Laura BlackFeather, Exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®

Celebration Styles Made Easy

In preparation for the Big Day, it's easy to overlook jewelry for the other wedding-related special occasions like the bridal shower, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner and honeymoon destination. Not to worry, an elegant pair of earrings is all you need to set center stage for each of those memorable occasions, and you can make them each in under 20 minutes.

Pearls are a sure-fire choice for wedding dress shopping. Steeped in wedding tradition, classic and designer colors bring modern, wear-anywhere style for a day on the town. Faceted gemstone briolettes add just enough sparkle to stand out in the crowd. Sterling silver fishhook earwires, a few eyepins and dead-soft sterling silver wire tie it all together.

Here's how:

Slide a 5mm cultured freshwater or Swarovski crystal pearl onto an eye pin, leaving enough room to make a simple loop. Using wire cutters, trim excess wire and make a loop using round-nose pliers. Do the same with a 6mm pearl and attach the two pearl links together by opening one of the loops.

Cut a two- to three-inch length of 26-gauge sterling silver dead-soft wire. String a faceted gemstone teardrop or briolette bead and make a wrapped loop that attaches to the loop of the 6mm pearl.

Open the loop of the sterling silver earwire, using needle- or round-nose pliers. Attach the pearl and briolette dangle and close the loop. Repeat steps for second earring.

Just like the mirrored ball on the dance floor, ''disco pearl'' earrings made of dainty cultured freshwater pearls suspended from long, silver chain are destined to be the life of the party--and they're a snap to make.

Here's how:

Start with either sterling silver cubic zirconia leverback earwires or Hill Tribes fine silver flower-petal fishhook earwires. Open the loop on the earwire and attach a two- to three-inch length of sterling silver 1.6mm long cable chain.

String a pearl cluster ball onto a sterling silver headpin, leaving enough length to make a simple loop, and trim excess. Make a half-loop using round-nose pliers, attach to the bottom link of chain and complete the loop. Repeat steps for second earring.

Drinks will be on the house with this sultry, and sensible, pair of earrings. Long, slinky dangles of copper French spiral wire shroud gold-filled ear hoops and headpins, with lustrous pairs of cultured freshwater pearls to polish them off.

Here's how:

Start with a pair of ready-to-wear gold-filled, flat-hoop earrings. Measure a length of 1.5mm copper French spiral wire to form a semi-circle over the hoop, and gently slide over looped end of earring.

String a large cultured freshwater pearl onto a 2-inch, gold-filled headpin. String another pearl onto a 3-inch, gold-filled headpin. Cut lengths of copper French spiral wire long enough to cover the headpins, leaving just enough room to make a simple loop.

Slide the copper wire over each headpin and, using your round-nose pliers, make a simple loop. Slide each headpin onto the flat-hoop earring so the shorter headpin is next to the copper wire covering half of the hoop. Repeat steps for second earring.

Slip into that little black dress for a stunning affair you'll remember always.

Attach the faceted gemstone headpin to the bottom link of chain with a wrapped loop. Attach the remaining headpins along the length of chain, in your desired arrangement, using wrapped loops. Open the loop of a sterling silver fishhook earwire and attach to the top link of chain. Repeat steps for second earring.

Pair with scrumptious food and your dedicated bridesmaid party for a fun-loving day they'll appreciate.

Golden baubles and brilliant crystals make a great couple in this dynamic pair of Swarovski crystal bicone and Swarovski crystal pearl earrings. Elegant enough for formal wear, versatile enough for everyday.

Here's how:

Made in a similar fashion as the brunch-with-bridesmaids design, start with your desired length of 14Kt gold-filled 2.25mm flat figure-eight chain. String a gold 12mm Swarovski crystal pearl onto a gold-filled headpin. Attach to one end of chain with a complete loop. String another gold 12mm Swarovski crystal pearl onto a gold-filled eyepin and attach to the opposite end of chain with a simple loop.

Make another Swarovski crystal pearl dangle and attach to the middle of your chain with a simple loop. Using Swarovski crystal bicone beads in a blend of 8mm and 6mm sizes of smoked topaz AB, light Colorado topaz, light Colorado topaz AB and crystal aurum AB2X, make enough dangles to fill your length of chain. Each link should have two bicone dangles and be attached with simple loops.

Open the loop of a gold-filled fishhook earwire, attach to the loop end of the Swarovski crystal pearl and close loop. Repeat steps for second earring.

Wear with confidence knowing your toast will be given in the height of fashion.

Classy and chic are at the essence of every honeymoon, and this easy-to-make pair of white ''turquoise'' earrings adds grace and elegance to every outfit, even when you're staying in.

Here's how:

Start with a 25x15x5mm magnesite teardrop bead and a two-inch gold-plated eye pin. String teardrop onto eyepin and, using round-nose pliers, make a simple loop on the end of the wire. Center the teardrop on the wire and bring ends together so the loops are linen up. Open a 5.5mm gold-plated jumpring and string through both loops. Attach the jumpring to an 18x12mm gold-plated open oval drop and close using needle-nose pliers.

String an eyepin through a 20x15mm magnesite flat oval. Bend wire to a 90 degree angle and trim, leaving enough room to make a simple loop. Add a gold-plated jumpring and finish the loop using round-nose pliers. Open the jumpring and attach to the opposite end of the gold-plated drop. Open the top eyepin loop and attach to a gold-plated 8mm half-ball earstud with loop. Repeat for the second earring.

Pack them in your travel bag along with a pair of gold-metallic sandals and you're travel-ready for destination honeymoon.

In a hurry?
The Create Compliments™ jewelry line has got you covered--exquisite sterling silver, polished to a mirror finish, and captivating gemstones in designer styles you can wear for all things wedding and year round.

If you have a question or feedback on this Pearls of Wisdom article, or would like to share your own wedding project idea, please contact us here.

Rockin' Romance

Don't miss a beat with Fire Mountain Gems and Beads' designer guitar pick collection. Not only can these plastic picks featuring pop art designs be used with guitars and other musical instruments for perfect wedding favors or wedding party gifts, they have a .75mm thickness and are undrilled, allowing custom hole size and placement for use in wedding jewelry as well.